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<title>The Last Laugh by AshWinterGray</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28467018">The Last Laugh</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshWinterGray/pseuds/AshWinterGray'>AshWinterGray</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Batman - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Crack, Family Feels, Punching</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 00:40:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,372</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28467018</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshWinterGray/pseuds/AshWinterGray</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Bruce punches the Joker in the face on the night of Jason's return Gala.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jason Todd &amp; Bruce Wayne</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>226</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Last Laugh</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I saw a prompt on Pinterest and this came out.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>            It was Jason’s introduction back into society. A Gala to celebrate the return of the lost son. So many things had to happen to get to this point, to the point where Jason would come home, and Bruce had been at Jason’s side the entire night. Or as close as he could be. It was still all so surreal to have all of his children (adopted or otherwise) in one room together. Laughing. Getting along. Dancing.</p><p>            Dick and Babs were <em>married</em>. He had officiated their wedding as the world ended around them, and they had survived and had an <em>actual</em> wedding where Bruce was among the men Dick trusted (he couldn’t be jealous that Wally was Best Man. Wally had deserved that honor), and the two were sitting with the Titans and a few of the Birds of Prey, most of them enjoying the snacks after the party that had just ended on the dance floor. Cass was dancing with Harper to a slower song that was meant to set the mood for dinner, the two girls not caring what anyone said. Kate and Renee were giggling by the punchbowl, sharing secret touches and glances. Tim and Steph were joking around with Cassie, Kon, Bart, Cissie, and Greta. Jason was with Roy and Artemis, the three deep in conversation that had Jason laughing like he hadn’t in a long time. Kori could be seen flittering between Dick and Jason. Duke had a few old friends from the We Are Robins movement that he was hanging around with. Damian was with Jon, the boy had de-aged, much to everyone’s shock, after the crisis was averted. The Fox family could be seen every once in a while, occasionally joining conversations are talking to friends. Selina was at Bruce’s side, rocking their daughter, Helena. Members of the Justice League could be seen flittering about in civilian form.</p><p>            It was perfect.</p><p>            Which meant something had to go wrong.</p><p>            In the next second, there was gunfire, and gas leaking in from a few locations. Though not enough to spread over the room. It was clearly a concentrated dose meant to take affect slowly. But the worst part was the laughter.</p><p>            “A party!” came the grating, familiar, hysterical laugh of the Joker. “And I wasn’t invited!? Why, Brucie! I’m offended!”</p><p>            Bruce did a quick headcount. All of his children, friends, family, and allies were mostly accounted for. Clark had already taken off, preparing to get the Batsuit as agreed. Bruce wasn’t Batman for tonight. Tonight was for <em>Jason.</em></p><p>            But the Joker was trying his patience.</p><p>            Artemis and Roy were playing the part of scared civilians well enough (at least…Artemis was trying), but Bruce knew they were both protecting Jason and holding him back. Jason’s face was blank, horrifyingly so. They were mostly without weapons, and trapped in a social event. This was like that episode of Phineas and Ferb Stephanie insisted they watch where Perry the Platypus was trapped due to social cues on a train.</p><p>            <em>Why was this his life?</em></p><p>            “One, two, three, four, five, six, and little number seven,” Joker made a point to stop in front of Selina and wave a finger in Helena’s face. “Which little birdie should I tick off first.”</p><p>            Clark had better get here quick, or Bruce was going to do something dramatic that would make Brucie Wayne a spectacle for weeks.</p><p>            “Little number seven? Perhaps number six?” Bruce watched as Joker waved the gun around, pointing as each child as he counted. “Number five might be promising, though he is rather new. Four’s been around for a while, hasn’t he? But wait…”</p><p>            Bruce’s heart stopped as the gun landed on Jason.</p><p>            “Number three just came back. It would be quite the shame if he was suddenly gone again? Wouldn’t i-?”</p><p>            <em>CRACK!</em></p><p>            The room went quiet. Well, as quiet as a room filled with people slowly being infected by Joker Venom could be, but quiet, nonetheless. The threat to his son had been enough and before anyone could process what was going on, Brucie Wayne had stood up, raced across the room, and punched the Joker clear across the face.</p><p>            “Don’t touch,” Bruce panted, the rage coursing through him in waves, words forced out in a snarl. “My. Kids.”</p><p>            Artemis barely pulled Bruce out of the way of the hailing gunfire that followed his actions. Of course, Clark then showed up and took care of the situation, but Bruce didn’t care. He was too busy holding his son to his chest in a vice grip as Artemis did her best to deflect the hail of bullet without giving herself away.</p><p>----------------------------</p><p>
  <em>            “Tell me, Mr. Wayne, what led you to punch the Joker?”</em>
</p><p>Bruce groaned into his hands. The previous night had been a blur, to say the least. He barely even remembered the interview Summer Gleeson had done <em>LIVE</em> as they were all ushered from the building. Bruce had been too busy looking over each of his kids and family to really take the in the fact that the person asking him the question had been Summer. The next morning, however, gave an image of just what went down.</p><p>            On the screen was Bruce, Cass tucked against his side with one of his arms slung around her, and a second hand cupping Damian’s head where a bruise was starting to form from where he had been knocked against a table.</p><p>            <em>“That man came to MY son’s welcome home party. Threatened MY kids. What was I supposed to do, wait for Batman?”</em></p><p>            His children had been purposefully looking for the interview on any channel, radio station, or commercial they could find. Tim and Steph had gone as far as to find Youtube, Twitch, Podcasts, and other places that were talking about Bruce’s statement.</p><p>            He was never going to live this down.</p><p>            Duke flipped the channel and Bruce stood. Despite his “over-protective-dad-mode”, he could not listen to that interview anymore. It would bother him to have his kids out of his sight, but Helena should be down for her nap. Selina might be taking a nap too if her lack of presence was anything to go by. And Jason had left the room some time ago.</p><p>            So Bruce went to find them.</p><p>            Selina, he found just as he predicted. Sleeping in their bed, curled up tight. He’d join her later, but his brain was still wired with adrenaline. It had been a long sleepless night, and he wasn’t yet feeling the effects of that just yet.</p><p>            Helena, his little girl, was also fast asleep. It was at night that his little night bird refused to sleep. He watched the steady rise and fall of her chest for a moment before he crept out of the room. Jason, of course, was harder to find.</p><p>            But, in the end, Bruce found his son curled up in a corner of the library with Ace and Dog. The two guardians looked up at Bruce before settling back against Jason as the boy read. Bruce place a hand on Jason’s knee as he sat in front of him, watching his son flitter his gaze over the page.</p><p>            They stayed like that for a few minutes until Jason found a stopping point.</p><p>            “Do you need something?” Jason asked, eyeing Bruce cautiously.</p><p>            Bruce shook his head. “No, you can just keep reading, Jay.”</p><p>            Jason cocked his head but made no move to reopen his book. Instead, he shifted his position, much to the dogs’ protest, and motioned Bruce to his now free side. Bruce complied, settling next his son in a way he had once feared would never be possible again. Only was Bruce was comfortable did Jason move further. He lay his head on Bruce’s shoulder, prompting Bruce to wrap an arm around Jason’s shoulders, and then Jason began to read, safely tucked against Bruce’s side.</p><p>            “For the record,” Jason whispered after an unknown amount of time. “I think Bruce Wayne is better than Batman.”</p><p>            Bruce smiled, unable to resist pressing a kiss to his son’s forehead.</p><p>            Of course, the moment was ruined by Dick.</p><p>            “BRUCE! BRUCE! YOU HAVE A NEW TAG TRENDING ON TWITTER! #DON’TWAITFORBATMAN!”</p><p>            Bruce groaned as Jason laughed. Bruce wouldn't trade this moment for the world.</p>
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